Gustav Klimt : A Different Perspective

The Beethoven Frieze

Since the Art Nouveau revival in the 1960’s Gustav Klimt has become one of our favourite artists. His work has a wide appeal, particularly the pieces from his ‘gold period’ which are easy on the eye, appealing in both imagery and style. His paintings have made record amounts at auction, with the Adele Bloch-Bauer portrait selling for $135 million in 2006. But, there has never been a full exhibition of his work in the UK - until now.

For any Klimt fan, this show at Tate Liverpool is a must.  It is the first, and perhaps the last, comprehensive exhibition to be shown in this country and  displays Klimt’s true value – quite aside from his popular pieces that are routinely plastered  over cards, calendars and coasters.
It doesn’t have the usual works that have become the merchandising icons we all know, but, rather, gives a clear impression of the artist, his influences and his life. 

So, make sure that you fit this exhibition – on until 31 August – into your summer holiday plans. This  much-hyped show has 23 of Klimt’s paintings – shown alongside works by his friend and collaborator, architect and designer Josef Hoffman -  but doesn’t  include his most famous ones: The Kiss, Hope, Judith and Holofernes, Danae, Death and Life.
To many, these images epitomise Klimt, but by omitting them the show reveals  him as an artist developing and progressing to be Founder and Leader of the Vienna Secession, without the distraction of the ‘hero’ paintings.

The movement – which added another facet to modernism through abstract and pure form in the design of buildings and furniture - is displayed here with domestic objects designed by Hoffman.  All manner of furniture is on display.  As well as cutlery, there are desks, seats, and even tea-sets all with clean-lined geometry and plane surfaces  breaking into areas of pattern. By placing objects such as sugar bowls next to Klimt’s work, the exhibition hopes to, ‘Provide a synthesis of his art with the design and living culture of Vienna, illuminating the critical role played by the artists leading supporters and their search for identity at the turn of the century.’
And although on some levels the exhibition fulfils this quota, at times it did have a feel of a home furnishing shop about it. 

The star of the show, however, is not the cutlery or sketches, it is the exact, full-size replica  - made in 1984 - of the Beethoven Frieze, a 34 metre-long mural, illustrating Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony.  In typical Klimt expression, the painting celebrates the unification of art forms, including music, poetry, sculpture, painting and fashion.  The original was shown at the Vienna Secessions 14th exhibition in 1902.  The plan was to destroy the piece after the exhibition, but a patron of the Secession had it resorted and the Tate have reconstructed the masterwork. The reconstruction was created using the same techniques as applied by Klimt himself in the original Frieze, and it’s intriguing, arresting and superb.

Shown at the start of the exhibition,  it shows the interpretation of the female form that Klimt favoured mid-career:  thin, boney, alabaster. They seem, like geese, to be flying horizontally, their vulnerability depicted by a large, King Kong -like ape, protecting them.  Many of the figures blend into a swirl of pattern,  the surface embossed in gold foil and gems  punctuated by stretches of blank plaster.  You can’t help but be in awe of the replica with its sensational decoration and originality: the exhibition is worth visiting just for this.

Gustav Klimt: Painting, Design and Modern life in Vienna 1900, Tate Liverpool, Albert Dock, Liverpool, L3 4BB, until 31st August. www.tate.org.uk

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